Hundreds of East Lothian residents gathered in the streets to protest and show affection for a local hospital that was closed down recently, and never reopened.
Locals of North Berwick gathered yesterday, April 24, with a local pipe band playing leading the procession and many banners being raised in protest against the closure of Edington Cottage Hospital.
The local and well-loved institution was closed in September 2021 due to staff shortages and the long-lasting effect of the Covid pandemic, with locals hoping the hospital would eventually reopen.
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All patients and staff were relocated to East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington, a hospital connected only by an infrequent daytime bus service from North Berwick.
Locals also say that as one of the two remote rural areas in the whole of the Lothians, the Edington had provided community-based palliative and end-of-life care for over 100 years as well as operating as the only minor injuries unit in East Lothian.
The parade, organised by the Hands Around The Edington campaign and led by the North Berwick Pipe Band, drew a huge crowd with coaches and players from North Berwick Rugby and Football Clubs among the supporters.
One hundred heart-shaped balloons, representing a centenary of care and the central motif for the campaign, were held aloft as the parade made its way along North Berwick High Street.
North Berwick resident Chris Tabraham recounted just how valuable the Edington was for his sister, who spent her final days at the hospital: "In 2010, my sister Helen was diagnosed with cancer and dispatched to the Western General, on the west side of Edinburgh, for surgery. As it transpired, she was found to be too far gone and for several days thereafter I had to make the far-from-easy journey from North Berwick to the Western to spend time at her bedside.
"She was in a side ward and seemingly largely ignored. Her appearance deteriorated and with it her will. After a week or so she was brought home to North Berwick and admitted into the care of the Edington staff.
"The transformation was immediate. They couldn’t do enough for Helen. They washed her hair, they chatted with her and, although there was nothing they could do to make her better, their palliative care was nothing short of remarkable. They gave Helen her dignity and self-respect back.
"Furthermore, I was able to pop in ‘as and when’ to sit with her; I did just that on Burns Night 2010, reading some of her favourite poems. She passed away later that night, having been surrounded by nothing but love for those last few precious days. That is why I truly believe the Edington to be a vital part of North Berwick’s life, as it has been for over a century."
Murray Duncanson, chair of the Friends of the Edington and lead member of the Hands Around The Edington campaign team, said: "We put on this parade as an uplifting tribute to a cottage hospital that has served this community for nearly 110 years. Everyone here has a story to tell: whether it’s being cleaned up, stitched up or bandaged up after an accident or being able to be close to a loved one as they see out their final days.
"I think we all feel that, while we cannot fix the staffing crisis at the NHS, we can show that the Edington means something to us all, that it is valued by us all and that the services that have been temporarily removed are acutely felt by us all.”
The next ELHSCP review will take place on Thursday, April 28, 2022.
In a statement from Alison MacDonald, Chief Officer of East Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP), she said: "At all times, our priority must be to maintain staffing levels that are safe for patients and staff.
"Due to staffing pressures, which are being felt across the whole NHS, we have had to temporarily consolidate staff supporting the six beds at Edington Hospital to East Lothian Community Hospital (ELCH).
"More staff in one place allows greater flexibility in how they are deployed day-to-day and has enabled a net gain of 10 beds to support the people of East Lothian.
"At least 35 new members of staff have been recruited since September. Existing vacancies are being supplemented with bank and agency staff, as well as offering overtime to current staff.
"The situation remains under constant review, with ELHSCP and NHS Lothian looking at long-term solutions in relation to recruitment and retention.
"Sadly, East Lothian is not immune to the staffing pressures being felt across the whole system, which continue to be significantly impacted by the pandemic, and we ask for public understanding at this time.”
